As the baby grows...

As I welcomed week 11, I began to notice an expanding waistline. It was all good until I put on at least 5 pairs of pants and none of them fit. Yikes! I went out this weekend in hopes to buy some pants/shorts with an elastic waist, but I tell you what, they are hard to find! Dresses are the most comfortable right now, but not very practical for work. I did break down and buy my first pair of maternity jeans. I must admit, I LOVE them! They don't look very maternity-ish and they are super comfortable! Plus, who doesn't love the awesome elastic waist?? Here they are:


The other alternative to maternity pants is the Bella Band. I can't decide if I like it or not. The whole point of the Bella Band is so you can wear your pre-pregnancy pants. This means you can leave your pants unbuttoned. The Bella Band worked for me until I sat down. It refused to stay in place, I had to constantly pull it down making sure my zipper and button were covered, and I literally felt like someone was squeezing my stomach. There was no room to breath. I couldn't take it. Why should I wear something that is tight and restricting when naturally my belly wants to pop out? Not my cup of tea.

10 week appointment

Today was our 10 week appointment. During this appointment, I had a pap smear, pelvic exam, physical, and we got to hear the heartbeat on the doppler! Typically, you can hear the heartbeat between 10-12 weeks. The doctor wasn't sure if she would be able to pick it up or not, but we heard it loud and clear! It was 171 bpm. It literally sounded like someone huffing and puffing into a microphone! Gosh, technology amazes me. Also during this appointment, I found out I am not a carrier of cystic fibrosis and my blood type is A+.

The baby has moved from the embryonic period to the fetal period, and is about the size of a lime.

Prenatal Yoga

Last week a friend of mine invited me to go with her to a prenatal yoga class. I had nothing else to do so I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, I had such a great time! It helped me unwind after work, I met a lot of other pregnant women, and I got some much needed exercise! I also love the fact that the instructor reads a real birth story at the beginning of each class...some a little scary, and some very motivational! Hopefully by participating in prenatal yoga, I'll stay in shape AND be prepared mentally and physically for a smooth labor and delivery.

Description of prenatal yoga: Prepare your mind and body for the challenges of pregnancy and labor. The class is designed to build your strength and stamina, ease discomforts of pregnancy and teach you how to relax. Experience the fellowship and support of other pregnant women. No prior yoga experience is necessary.

Baby Books

Every pregnant woman buys her fair share of pregnancy/baby books to read. After chatting with some friends of mine who are also expecting, and researching baby stuff on the internet, I realized there are several good reads I need to purchase. Just in case you are wondering, are pregnant, or plan to conceive in the near future, here are the must have books I purchased this past weekend:

• Baby Bargains Secrets
  
• Author: Denise and Alan Fields
• About the book: "Secrets to saving 20%-50% on everything for baby. The best websites, name brand reviews, five wastes of money, tips to saving money, the truth about strollers, the seven most ridiculous baby products, dozens of safety tips, and smart solutions."
  

• Belly Laughs
• Author: Jenny McCarthy
• About the book: "Belly Laughs reveals the naked truth about pregnancy and childbirth: the tremendous mood swings, the excruciating pains, and the unseemly disfigurement that go along with the process. Never shy, frequently crude, and always laugh-out-loud funny, McCarthy covers it all with her signature wit and in the grittiest of girlfriend detail."
  

• On Becoming Baby Wise
• Author: Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
• About the book: "Babywise is an exciting infant management plan that successfully and naturally helps infants synchronize their feeding, waketime, and nighttime sleep cycles."
  

• The Baby Name Bible: 50,000 + Baby Names!
  
• Author: Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz
• About the book: "The only book that gives you insight and advice on every name, tells you what's best, what's hot, and what's not, highlights the latest starbaby names, includes thousands of creative and ethnic choices you won't find anywhere else."

The Growing Garden

Today Pat and I decided it was time to clean out and plant our garden (well, my garden). I wish I would have taken a before and after pic. It was so over-grown it was ridiculous! We filled up three trash bags with weeds, sticks, and leaves from the garden box.

While at the farmer's market, we bought several different types of plants for the garden: cucumbers, yellow and green peppers, sweet banana peppers, green beans (starting from seeds), and roma and cherry tomatoes . Hopefully, within the next month or so, we will have some yummy veggies straight out of our back yard!

Crib

While at the beach for Easter, we ran into a little store on HWY 17 called Noah's Ark. The store had mostly consignment items and some new furniture. While browsing around, I came across a crib I fell in love with. Some might say it is a little early to make any baby purchases, but I disagree...especially since I fell in love! Here is the crib we ordered. The color is called antique white. I cannot wait for it to come in so we can go pick it up (and have another weekend at the beach!).

Dream

After you announce you're pregnant, many people ask if you prefer a boy or a girl. Pat and I don't care as long as he/she is healthy. I haven't "felt" one way or the other, but I did have a dream. Here is what happened:

For some reason, I was traveling to Hickory alone, with one stop in mind...Mom-Mom and Grandy's house (Pat's maternal grandparents). It wasn't the same big white house, but it was definitely their house. I told Pat I was going and he told me to make sure I let them know I was pregnant. I went to Hickory knowing both of them had already passed away. When I walked into the house, I went straight upstairs to a back room that was strictly Mom-Mom's room. Everything was pale pink- the walls, bedding, curtains, carpet, everything. I walked into her room a little nervous because I knew she had been "seen" before, but there was no guarantee I was going to "see" her. As soon as I stepped in the doorway I saw a glow in the corner of the room. Yes, it was Mom-Mom! She was so excited to see me! Before I could get a word out of my mouth, she said, "Melissa, you and Pat are going to have such a beautiful little girl." After she said this, I literally woke up crying! As I was going back to sleep, I tried to revisit the dream so I could see what happened next, but unfortunately, I just tossed and turned.

Is this a sign??

Gender predictors

Here are two just-for-fun gender predictor tools we tried:

1. Chinese gender chart. Find my age on the left (26) and the month of conception (February). Result= BOY


2. Pencil trick. Stick a needle with string into the eraser on a pencil. Hold the string very still over my wrist. If the pencil moves the length of my arm then it's a boy. If it moves perpendicular to my arm then it's a girl. This is supposed to predict the sex of the baby, and how many children you will have. The pencil stops moving between each child. Crazy huh? My grandfather is a HUGE believer in this wives tale. He has done this on every female that has a child/children in the family and it has been right!
Result= BOY first, then GIRL (yes, just 2)

Baby on Board!

We are excited to announce that we are having a baby, due November 18th! Currently, I am 9 weeks. We had our first ultrasound at 7 weeks and the heartbeat was 155 bpm. We will find out the sex between 16-18 weeks. So far, I haven't experienced any morning sickness, just some nausea at night.

Our second appointment was at 8 weeks. During this appointment, we discussed genetic counseling and did blood work. At ten weeks I have a pap smear, pelvic exam, and we get to hear the heartbeat!

Stay tuned for more baby updates :)

Baby at 9 weeks (about the size of a large grape):